Method of converting the energy of fuel into electrical energy.



N0..77`5,472. EATENTED Nov. 2z, 1904. A i E, J0EE. 'METHOD 0E GONVEETING vTEE ENERGY 0E EUEL INT0 ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

I 'APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 18, 1901.

NO MODEL.

.PATENT Patented November 22, 1904.

tripa.

HUGO JoNE, or cmo-neo. iLLiNois.

METHOD `OECONVERTING THE ENERSEY 0F FUEL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY.

SIEGIFXGTION forming` part of Letters Patent No. 775,472, dated November 22, 1904.

' Application filed Novembery 18, 1901. Serial No. 82,6%. (No model.)

To a/ZZ Whom it may concern,.- y

Be it known that I, HGo J ONE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the into Electrical Energy, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates tol methods of reducing electrical energy from fuel. y v

By fuel is meant anykind'lof combustible substance which is capable of reducing the oxid of some such metal as tin to the metal when heated with it, therefore particularly the several kinds of carbon, pure and impure, the carbon compoundsv Which'are capable of effecting that. reduction, and any gas which maybe obtained from solid or liquid fuel by heating it with steam, as in the manufacture of water-gas, or with carbon dioxid or some similar substance. In any case the substance from which the electrical energy is generated is either the fuel itself or a substance reduced by the fuel.

The invention consists, substantially,in producing an electric current in a galvanic cell, using a metal as the-positive plate and carbon as the negative plate at an elevated temperature and then reducing the metallic compound formed by the oxidationof the metal in the battery reaction by means of the oxidation energy of carbonaceous fuel. y

The carbon electrode is an important means for the production of a strongl current. It gives a much stronger current than most metals used as cathode.

` largely to the position ofv carbon in the electrical-tension series of metals, which-makes it vpossible to obtain a comparatively high ele-ctromotive .force even 'with those metals` which are but feebly electroposltive, as the positive plate. How important an advantage this is will be more readily understood if it is considered that it is' just the feebly-electropositive metals which -adord al high yield in the reduction by carbonaceous fuel. yThe elevated temperature serves, chieiiy the purpose of 0btaining a high-current strength. Bj' employ- .inga carboncathode at an elevated temperature it s'made possible to obtain from a metal This I attribute and as constant as possible.

which is but moderately electropositive a current of both a comparatively high pressure and a comparatively high strength.

' Another feature of the invention consists in i eecting the reduction of the battery product of 'the cell,l which serves to recover the substance by the oxidation of which the electric current is generated in the cell itself and not in any special retort provided for that purpose and separate from the cell. In other Words, the cell and the reduction-retortare one and the same vessel` so that transference of chemicals from one to the other is obvi ated, and the reduction,- as well the oxidation, is continuous. These two effects are two of the objects of this invention. If the reduction is one which takes place at an elevated temperature and the battery reaction is one which takes place only at an elevated temperature or more rapidly at that temperature.l

an additional benefit accrues from the comsination of the reduction-retort and the cell into one and the same vessel-namely, that of saving fuelvsince the two vessels need no longer be heated separately, but may be heated jointly, they being one and the same vessel. This saving of fuel, then, is another object of this invention in cases where the cell is operated at` an elevated temperature. Furthermore, as neither the oxidation nor ther-eduction need be interrupted for the purpose of removing chemicals the cooling down of the vessels in which these reactions take place ordinarily, ruption, and therefore the loss of heat connected With such interruption, is avoided. l

Still another object of this invention is to have the electric current as strong as possible To accomplish this, an effective depolarizer is provided, consisting not merely of atmospheric oxygen, but of a compound which is capable of deoxida-` tion.

There are several other objects which will become apparent hereinafter.

"That form of the invention which will serve as an illustration ofthe invention hereinafter consists, substantially, in generating electrical energy by combining metallic tin as the ositive plate., caustic potash as the electro yte,

end mercuric oxid as the depolarizer in a galvamc cell, heating the cell, reducing the .oxid

hof tin formed inthe cattery reaction to metallic tin by means of fuel-gas'pa'ssed into the cell, and then repeating theoxidatior of the tin with generation of electrical energy. The

- gas', agasometer for-the water-gasv generated,

l A A. of Fig. 1.

and a corresponding section of the flue below -by caustic potash..

a battery of cells, and a liuc below the bat- 'tery carrying the hot waste gases ofthe gen- .erator. @ne of the cells is shown separately on a larger scale and in detail.. l

Referring to the'drawngaand tothe various views and reference-signs appearing theren on, Figure l is a top plan View of one ofthe cellswith its upper part partly removed. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the same cell on 'line Fig. a top plan view of the entire plant with a section 'of the battery the battery omitted. Fig. l is avertical section, partly in elevation, of the same plant with a corresponding omission.

, The saine reference-sign'designates the same part wherever-itoccurs in' theseveralviews. The Vgalv'anic cells, one'of'whicb is shown in Fig. l and Fig'Q, consists, substantially, of a vessel 9, preferably square in shape., upon which rests, by means lof a iiange, asquare vesselof 'porous carbon 1 0. This' vessel of porous 4carbon contains the'depolarizerthe mercurio oxid 17fv-and serves to retain this" oXid andthe mercurous oxid 17 ,formed from it by deoxidation, sopfthat .they cannot enter the space below, which is the anode-space..` At the same time this vessel o f porous carbon serves as the negative-plate. Vessel 9 is made of some materialthatis chemically unaffected' Uponthe bottom is placed an iron plate 16, provided with a ledge l5, 'running along its edge and constituting with the plate a flat pan. rllhe ledge is made of some-material which is chemically unaffected l by caustic allralie's,i alkaline carbonates, and by molten metallic tin. The flat pan serves as a receptaclefor the tin, either solid or molten, preferably' the latter. The tin constitutes the positive plate by the oxidation of Which thecurrcnt is generated. The tin is in electric Contact with wire 58 through clamp v211C, the metal of the vessel 9, and-the iron Contact wi h wire 29 througlrclamp 23. The fluid 18 sh wn in vessel 9 and in vessel 101s i a concentrated watery' solution of caustic potash. This solution ris covered by a layer of parain 32 to prevent absorptionof carbon dioxid and of oxygen from the air. Vessel 9 is protected against loss of much heat by -being-v 70 covered on'the sides and on top by thick sheets of asbestos' 27 26 25. A strip of electricin- 'sulating material 31, such las asbestos or marble, is placed below the flanges of the carbonf 'vessel l0, where-it rests on vessel. 9. The electric current isobtai-ned between wires 29 and 28. H u l'llhe gas, which serves as reducing agent, is

supplied t7) the cell through pipes 68', is heated in coils 69,.' and distributed through pipes 8O n70 71 72, which are each provided with a suitable jet`78 74 75, through which the gas is delivered intol the liquid in the cell, preferably near the surface of the tin, so as to reduce not merely the oXid of tin 78 in solution as stan- 85 Those shown in the drawings have the openingsthrough which they deliver along their lower edge in .the form of a fine slit or a series of small holes.

rl.`he several pipes and jets are made of enameled metal, preferably enameled copper. The

enamel consists, preferably, of an insoluble berate. The coils 69 may be covered by a reduce the loss of heat. The gas which rises in the liquid before being oxidized accumulates in the inverted pans 77, which rest .on a

strip of enameled iron 7 6. This is in turn supported by the pipes 73 74- 75. The pans 77 are provided with a pipe each, 88, reaching above the surface of the liquid and provided with a valve which permits thedraining out ofvan electric current, the oxygen 'being sup plied bythe mercurio oxid, which is thereby reduced-to mercurous oxid, or, 1r lthere is 1nsuiiicie'nt supply of it, to metallic inc ,rcury-l as follows:

This reaction may be considered as consisting of the following two reactions if the rect ignored that the hydrogen is oxidized 1n the TOO 'hood of asbestos, as shown in Fig. 2, so l as to v is proper e-lectrolytic action:

and opening after the coils have attained `a tributing-pipes and the jets, and reduces the y tions with stannous oxid are represented by drogen', and marsh-gas.

gallon of liquid is 12.0 amperes when the ex- The mercurio oxid is thus recovered and may 1.03 volts.

' n o+2HNoi=Hg No3t+H2o -The, mercuric nitrate thus obtained is heated nascent state and notilit rated as such if there l,

swims-arto:sno+xon+2n Quadrige: rnoarngeo.

1n case of insufficient supply of mercurio oxid the 'last reaction may be modified, as follows:

The stannous oxid formed in the battery reaction 1s partly dissolved as stannite of potassium, thus:

The stannite of potassium and the undissolved stannous oxid are reduced by heating coils 69 bright red heat, which is somewhat higher than sufcient for the desired reduction, the valve which closes supply-pipe 68. The reducing-gas, which in this case is water-gas, being kept under gasometer-pressure or other suitable pressure, passes through the coils, is heated to nearly the temperature of the coils, is delivered into the liquid through the dis- 1t will be noticed that the gases whose reacthese equations are the principal constituents of water-gasnamely, carbon monoxid, hy-

The metallic tin is thus recovered and the generation of electrical energy continued uninterruptedly. The electromotive force of a cell of this kind is The current strength of a cell of the described form and of the capacity of one until it breaks up, as follows:

` Hgmoapngoarenoo.'

again be supplied to the cell.

The apparatus The water-gas is generated in the. gener-f ator 89. (Shown in lFig. and Fig. 4.) This vvessel is made of iron lined. with fire-bricks.. v 1t 1s provided with a grate 93,v on which the carbonaceous fuel, preferably coal, rests, a yvalve 94 for the removal of ashes, a manhole 95, an aperture at the top 96, an inlet-pipe 103, dividing into two branches, one of which 91, carries compressed air, and the other, 92,

' carries steam, and which can be closed by valves 101 and 102, respectively, an outletpipe 104, which also divides into two branches 97 and 99, which can be closed by valves 98 and 100, respectively. Branch pipe 97 communicates simultaneously, through pipe 106,

with gasometer 90 and with the sup]' ily-pipes 68 of the cells 9. Branch pipe 99 vcommunicates, through flue 105, with smoke-stack 107.

The generation of the gas is carried on in essentially the same manner as water-gas is generally made, except that the impregnation of the gas with hydrocarbons is preferably omitted. The coal is ignited near the grate. Compressed air is blown "into the generator lby opening valves 101 and 100. 'The coal is thus heated to incandescence. When a tempera-ture suf'ciently high for the decomposition of steam is reached, valves 101 and 100 are closed and valves 102 and 98 are opened. The following reactions take place:

Cp-l- QHQO I 002+ 4H. Cid-C02: QCO.

Hydrogen and carbon monoxid are thus obtained. As marsh-gas ,an'd other hydrocarbons are apt to be generated by the action of heat upon the coal, amixture consisting chieiy hydrogen, carbon monoxid, and marsh-gasis IOO obtained. f This gas mixture is stored in gasometer 90, by the pressure of which it is supplied uniformly to the cells 9, where it effects the reduction of oxid of tin to metallic tin, as described hereinabove. The hot gases issuing from generator 89 when compressed air is turned in through pipe 91 are allowed to pass through flue 105 and to heat the cells 9. Thus heat and reducing-gas supplied to the cells, which in combination with the regeneration of the mercurio oxid aiford the' continued production of electrical energy.

The apparatus need not be made exactly as described. Changes may be made which do 'not materially affect the chemical reactions or the production of electrical energy. The number of cells, for instance, or the ratio between the height and the length of the cells or the shape of the several vessels may be varied. described is merely an illustrative embodiment of the kind of apparatus used.

The reducing agent need not necessarily be a gas. It may be a'solid or a liquid. Potassiumformate (KHCOQ) may be added either solid or in solntion. The-reducing effect is about the same as when vcarbon monoxid is Furthermore, if the vbattery is kept at a tem?A centigrade breaks up into carbon monoxid and potassium hydroxid, thus:

iiricoipcolfxrio.

perature between l()O centigrade andQOOO centigrade potassium formate may be ob tained by the action of carbon monoxid on the caustic potash in the cell, thus: I

It is thus evident that either substance may be substituted for the other. Thegas, (carbon monoxid,) however, is preferred because it can be supplied and heated more conveniently.

The electrolyte need no t necessarily be alkaline. It may be acid or neutral, the essential feature of this invention regarding the reduction being the reduction of the battery product within this cell by means of gaseous, liquid, or solid fuel. which are reduced by carbon monoxid or hydrogen are capable of producing an electric current by subsequent oxidation of the reduction product, they may be combined with a suitable oxidant in a galvanic cell in which both the oxidation and the reduction take place. Ferrous sulfate, for instance, dissolved in dilute sulfuric acid niay be coin-v bined with nitric acid in a galvanic cell and thc resulting ferrie sulfate reduced by passing a fuel-gas, such as carbon monoxid or hydrogen, through it. Alkaline electrolytes, however, are preferred, because they do not evaporate at as low a temperature as the acids inacid electrolytes, because they do not corrode the cells as much as the acids if they are made of some such material as enameled iron,

because most reductions can be effectedmore easily in alkaline than in acid solution, because the alkali is not, unlike the acids in many cases,

reduced along with the oxid dissolved in it,A

and for the other reasons 'which are known to make an yalkaline electrolyte desirable. The example given to illustrate'the use of an acid electrolyte '(ferrous sulfate-in dilute sulfuric acid) also illustrates the fact that the substance by' the oxidation of which the electric cur-rent is produced need not necessarily be a metal, but'that i it may vbe aproduct of the reduction .of a metallic'salt when that -reduction is not carried so 'far as to the isolation ofthe metal. .The reduction can be effected within such a cell, ashasbeen shown.4

n order to obtain the reduction products which are capable of producing'a strong elec tric current, the reduction is preferablycarried on-at an elevated temperature, it being a fact that most reductions Whose 4products are strongly clectropositive require a high temperature. The elevated temperature at the saine time serves another purpose-namely,

order to obtain a strong current.'

As many metallic salts' reduction at once.

vit reaches the surface.v

that of making the oxidation,and therefore the production, lof an electric current, more rapid. By promoting the oxidation of a 'metal which is but moderately electropositive the elevated temperature makes possiblethigh-yield, 'In

the cold the tinwouldgivebut a feeble current, if any at all, and a more stronglyelectropositive metal would have to `be used in This wouldA necessitate va greater loss of ,heatin the reduction ofthe metallic compoundformed from the metal, since-strongly-electropositive lmet-` als require comparatively high temperatures l for reduction. It is -this loss 'which is largelyavoided by aneleva'ted temperature.

Besides the advantages arising from effecting-the reduction in the cell and those arising fromei'ec'ting it at an elevated temperature there 'are those resulting from the use of af gaseous reducing agent. A great manycells can bev supplied with the gaseous reducing agent almost as easily as one cell, since the gas if placed under'suitable pressure will oW' to-all of themsimultaneouslyand uniformly, while a solid reducing agent requires more complex manipulation. for its transference to many cells. Furthermore, as a gas generated from fuel, suchas coal, by dryfdistillation or by treatment withwatero'rwithcarbon di-v oxidv leaves behind those-substances 'which' would seriously contaminate the velectrolyteandeventually necessitate its renewal it is much to be preferred tosolid reducing agents sov long as' these. are n ot pure, as is the case with coal, for instance, Another important advantage afforded by gas is theease'with which it may be heated previous v`to passing into the cell for the purpos'eof eiecting red uc- 'fioo tion at a high temperature, Whilea solid, such as a Alump of coal, would riotonly .cause diftif culty in its transmission if transmitted hot', but

would be apt to cool down ina cell to a teni'- perature at which it nolonger'eects the desired reduction, for the reason thatadarge lump of such. a solid cannot be used up-in the Itis the gradual and regu- 'ilo lar supply ofv the gas which makes possible reductions ythat take place' at about-6 0()C centigrade in awatery solutionof caustic potash 'boiling at 34500 centigrade without? evaporay tion or Without rapid evaporation of thel water. The gas being supplied .only in such. quantities as can be oxidized instantly is still hot When-the reduction is to take place, unlike the largerpart of the lump of'coal referred to.

lThe boiling of the solution may be -prevented bypassing-the gas intov tliesolution considerably below the` surface, so thatthe steam Which may be formed condenses again before The steam can form only gradually, owing to the'gradual supply 'of the gas.. Thus it is possible to Vmaintain a high temperature at the particu-lar .place where the reduction takes place, while the rest of the solution is ata much lower temperature. The heat supplied by the hot gas is to be used either exclusively or along with other sourcesof--heat 4formaiutaining the'ele'- vated temperature ofthe liquid, since if the other'sources of heat alone are suicient to maintain a temperature approaching the boiling-point of the liquid `the additional heat supplied bythe. gas may raise the temperaturev above the boiling-point of the liquid and cause the loss of water. This loss is to be avoided, because the production of a strong electric current is much more difficult without than with water in the electrolyte. The water then is .either to be. prevented from boiling away orv to coal and other similar combustible solids is the fact that such fuel-gases as carbon monoxid, hydrogen, and marsh-gas effect. most reductions at a lower temperature than carbon, owing to the lower point of ignition. This fact aids evidently in preventing the boiling of the solution. It is desirable for still another reason to ,maintain the larger part of this -cell at as low a temperature as possible. Thel loss' of heat would evidently be greater with a high temperature. Those devices then which afford a comparatively low temperature of the electrolyte aid in reducing the loss of Theheating of the pipes carrying the gaseous reducing .agent is accomplished, preferably, by applyinga gas-fiame, since thatjls convenient-'and does not lead to the formation of soot, it being easy to effect a complete com? bustion of fuelgas by means of a suitable burner.

The eiiiciency of the water gas plant is higher than that of an ordinary water-'gas plant, since the heat lost `by those vessels in whichgthe water-gas is impregnated with hydrocarbons is no t lost at all in this case, this addition of hydrocarbons for thel purpose of making the flame of the gas luminous,.aud therefore also the vessels used for that purpose, being unnecessary in this case. The heat which would be lost in operating the generator is largely utilized, since the hot gases issuing from it when the coal is burned in air are made'to heat the battery.'

The gas used for the reduction need not necessarily be water-gas. -It may be any of its constituent reducing gases, carbon monoxid,

. hydrogen, marsh-gas, or any other reducing gas representing the energy of fuel and ob tainable by treatment of fuel With suitable substances which can be 'reduced by the fuel. The water-gas plant, for instance, could with some slight modifications easily be replaced by a carbonrnonoxid plant, in which carbon -mo'noxid would be generated by treatment of incandescent coal with carbon dioxid. It could 'also be replaced by a plant producing benzinvapor from liquid benzin.

A special advantage consists in that, the cell may be stopped easily by simply lowering the temperature. The stoppage of the current may also be brought about by discontinuing the supply of gas.

tards and finally almost entirely stops the batteryv reaction.

The energetic battery reaction is largely accounted for by the acid properties of the oxid of tim-since even themore electropositive metal .which has no acid properties would dissolve in alkali less rapidly or not at all. It is indeed,

i to a large extent at least, the use of an acid form in metal in connectionl with alkali which affords a strong current without necessitating a difficult reduction-mamely, 4that of a strongly electropositive metal. Although In this 'case the tin is gradually covered by a film of oxid, which rethere are several other easily reducible metals which are capable of acting as an acid toward alkali-forinstance, lead, antimony, and arsenic.-and which therefore react rapidly with alkali, the use of which as electrolyte is very desirable for its many advantages, the tin excels in rapid reaction with alkali. Cadmium may also be substituted lfor tin. However, tin is preferred, as it reacts more rapidly with hot solution of caustic alkali than cadmium oes. alkali is accompanied by formation of hydrogen seems to account largely. for the strong electric current it produces in the cell. I believe, indeed, that a large part ofthe current is due to the electrolytic oxidation of the nascent hydrogen. Considering, furthermore, the fact that tin reduces mercuric oxid under water-'even in the cold and without the presence of alkali, it is not surprising that the,

in this cell is violent. This reaction, as well as the formation o'f hydrogen, is evidently not the only manifestation of the strong afiiuity of tin for oxygen. The violent oxidation of tin by nitric acid evidently also proves that affinity to be a strong one. Itis not surprising that sucha-strong reducer makes a good positive plate inra galvanic cell, and itis fortunate that the tincan yet be reduced from its oxygen compoundsvwith comparative ease The fact that its reaction with hot IOO IIO

in spite of its strong aflinity for oxygen.

Furthermore, it is capable of producing a comparatively high elcctromotive forerx when used as the positive plate, as is indicated by its position in the electric tension series of metals in spite of the fact that it is but a feebly basic and easily reducible metal.` The difference of thet'eniperatures at'wh-ich, tin vdecomposes'water and at whichit's oxid i'sreduced to the metal is not as great as with most other metals. `This is another reason why tin is preferred. If some such metal as zinc were to be reduced, the reduction plant would evidently have to be at a very' high temperature, while the battery would not need to be heated at all.v The hotfurnace-gaseswould a be'useless, and the high temperature of the reduction plant wouldnaturally causeconsiderable loss of heat, while in the case of tin the battery and the reduction plant may be keptat approximately the same temperature.

This is evidently one o f the circumstances i I9 which enable me to -etlect both the reduction and the oxidation in one and the same vessel without excessivelossofl heat. jThe temperature of the vessel, moreover, is such that it- -is impossible to retain water, which 1s an irn-` I5 portant advantage, as shown hereinabove',

1t has been asserted that no electric current, at all is obtainable from 'carbon monoxni in that cell known as LBorchers cell, even in acid solution, and this is ascribed to the inefticiency of atmospheric oxygen as depolarizer.- 1t seems, indeed, that free oxygen does not aid in the production ofa Icurrent or not much unless it is previously Combined with another substance, or at least observed by some such substance as spongy platinum. It- `will b e noticed that in accordance with these circumstances I combined the oxygen of the air with mercurous oxid for the purpose of depolariza-A phcric oxygen and fuel. i Furthermore, it causes but little waste'of energy when acting as a dcpolarizer. ln the Edison-Lalandecell a considerable part of the oxidation energy of the zincis wasted in breaking up the cu-A pric oxid used as depolarizer. As the energy required to reduce mercurio oxid to mercurous oxid is only abouthalf as much as in the caseof cupricoxid for the same amount of oxygen given off,.1 effect considerable saving of energy by the use of mercurio oxid, as described. the mercuric oxid when acting on metals like tin or antimony l attribute the fact that the battery reaction proceeds rapidly and that the current strength is comparatively high.

This invention is intended to cover features not covered by a previous application of mine describing a similar invention 'entitled Method of convertingl the energy of fuel into electrical energy. filed November-7,1901, Serial Noa 81,391. i

ly having the negative electrode in Ithe form of a porous carbon vessel no separate porous vessel is needed to serve as areceptacle for the depolarizer. Furthermore, as the wall of the porous vessel is of a material which conducts electricity and which acts as the negative plate any mercuric oxid which might be dissolved in the alkali is apt toy be '.lo the energetic oxidizing action of sumption of anysubstance beyond atmosthe internal resistance is decreased by having a conductor of electricity as porous vessel in place of a non-conductor.`

What ll claim as newand useful, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

l, rihe method of generating electrical energy which consists'in first combiningan exi- 4 dizable substance which is a conductor of electricity, as the vpositive plata-'with carbon as Athe negative plate an'd'alkali as electrolyte in a galvanie-cell, atl an el'evated'- temperature, generating electricallenergy `by oxidation of the oxidizable substance-rand then reducing vthe battery product formed in that oxidation,

to the original oxidizable substance by means of the oxidationenergy of fuel, and repeating the oxidation with generation of electrical en` ergy. -as and for the purpose setfforth.

2. The methodof generating electricalenergy which consists in first combinin'ga metal as the positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate, and an alkali as the electrolyte,in

-a galvanic cell, at an elevated temprature,

generating' electrical energy'fby oxidation of the metal, and then reducing that battery productv which contains the metal oxidized in'v the battery reaction to the metal'by means of the oxidationenergyoffuel. and repeating the oxidation`A ofthe -metal with 'generationfpf electricalenergy, as and vfor the vpu rpose set 3. rIhe method of 4geiierating electrical en ergywhich consists in first combining a instal, the oxid of which yields'chieli y carbon di-o-Xid, in addition to'l the metal, in lits reductionby carbon, asthe positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate', and -alkali as electrolyte, in a galvanic cell, at an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidation of the metal', and then reducing' that V batt-ery' product which contains the metal .oxidized inv the battery reaction, to the metal -bymeans 4of the oxidation energy of fuel,- and repeating the oxidation of the metal with generation of, and for the purpose set electrical energy, -as forth.

4. The method of generating electrical energy which consists in lir'st combining a metal,

the oxid of which yields chieflycarbon -dioxid` in vaddition to the metal, inits reductionby carbon, as vthe positive plate, with. carbon as' -the negati-ve plate', and an alkali as [the electrolyte, in a galvanic cell, at an 'elevated'tem' perature, generating electrical energy byl oxidation ofthe metal, and thenreducing that` battery product which contains the metal oxi-V dized in the battery reaction, -to 'the metall by.

means of the oxidation energy of fuel, 'and repeating the oxidation of the metal with geni eration of electrical energy, a's and for the purpose set forth.

5. The method of generating-electrical'en- IIO ergy which consists in 'first combining a metal,

as the positive plate, with an oxidant as depolarizer, and a porous carbon vessel as the negative plate, serving at the same time /as a receptacle for the depolarizer, i'n a galvanic cell, at au elevatedy temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidation of the metal,

and then reducing the battery product which whichis capable of generatingbydrogen withv solution of alkali as the positive plate, with.

carbon as the negative plate,l in a galvanic cell, at' an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidation of the metal, and then reducing that battery product which contains the metal oxidized in the battery reaction, to the metal by means of the oxidation energy of fuel, and repeating the oxidation of the metal with generation of electrical energy, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The method of generating electrical energy which consists in first combining a metal,- which is capable of forming a higherand a lower oxid, as the positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate, in a galvanic cell, at an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidization ofthe metal and With formation of the compound in which the metal has the lower valence, and then reducing that battery product which contains the metal oxidized in the battery reaction to the metal by means of the oxidation energy of fuel, and repeating the oxidation of the metal with generation of electrical energy, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The method of generating electrical en` ergywhich consists in first combining a metal. which is capable of acting as an acid toward alkali as the positive plate, with an alkali as the electrolyte and carbon as the negative plate, in

a galvanic cell, at an elevated temperature, generation of electrical energy. as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The method of generating electrical energy which consists `in first combining metallic tin as the positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate, in a galvanic celLat an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidation ofthe-tin, and' thenreducing that battery product which contains the tin oxidized in the battery reactiol\. to metal- Vlic tin by means of .the oxidation eergy of carbonaceonsv fuelf, andrepeating= the oxidation-of the 'tin with generation of electricalA energy, as and for the purpose set forth.

10.' The method of generating electrical energy which consists infirst combining a metal, as the positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate, and a compound containingoxygen and capable of deoxidation as the depol arizer in a galvanic cell, atan elevated temperature, generating electrical energyv by'oxida- 5 tion of the metal, and with deoxidationof the compound containing oxygen and then reducing that battery product which contains the Ihetal oxidized in the .battery reaction, to the metal 'by means of the oxidation energy of c'arbpnaceous fuel, and repeating. the oxidation ofthe metal with the generation of electrical energy, as andfor the purpose set forth.

.11. The method of generating electrical energy which'consists in first combining a metal,

as the positive plate, with carbon as the neg- -1 ative plate, and a 'metallic oxid as the depou l'arizyer in a galvanic cell, at an elevated'temf perature, generating electrical energy by oxidation of the metal and with deoxidation .of

the metallic4 oxid, and then reducingthat bat-v "tery product which contains the metal oxidized in the battery reactionyto the 'metal by Y means of the oxidation energy of carbonaceous fuel, andirepeating the oxidation of the metal for the purpose set forth.

12. The method of generating electrical energy which consists in'rst combining a metal as the positiveplatawith,carbon as the negative plate, in a galvanic cell,l at an 'elevated temperature, generating electricalen'ergy by oxidation of the metal and then reducing that batteryv product which contains the metal oxidized in the battery reaction, to the metal by introducing -into the l same cell -a reducing agent which is the product of areduotion by carbonaceous fuel, and repeating the oxidation of the metal with generation of electrical energy, as and for: the purpose set forth.

, 13. The method of generating electrical en.- ergy which cnsists in first combininga metal as the positive plate, with carbon as-the nega' tive plate, in a galvanic cell, at an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by as the positive plate, with carbon as the negative plate, in a galvanic cell, at an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by' battery product which-contains the metal oxi- `dizedin the battery reaction, tothe metal. by

oxidation of the metal andthen reducing that and for the purpose setforth.

introducing intoA the same' cell a reill'lcinggas which is one of the constituents of any` of the 15. The method of generating electrical energy which eonsistsin first combining a metal as the positive plate with carbon as-the nega'-l tive plate, and alkali ,as the electrolyte, in a galvanic cell at an elevated temperature, generating electrical energy by oxidation of the forth.

metal, reducing the metallic compound formed ,i

in that oxidation, tohthe original metal 'by means of the oxidation energy of4 carbona-` I5 ceous fuel,'.utilizing the' Waste heat given off in any of the processes subsidiary to the rcoluction, for heating the said-galvanic cell, and repeating lthe* oy'iidationy with' generation of electrical energy, las yand for the purpose set 20 HUGO lJona.

Witnesses:

MARY F. LINCOLN, EVA B. JUDD. 

